Bitter Sweets

her with stricken eyes. “Oh, God, that is what we’re Hoping for?” he said. “That’s the best case scenario... that a convicted child molester murdered both of my niece’s parents and took off with her?”

    “Mr. O’Donnell, I’m so sorry, but I don’t know what to say to you.” Her head began to throb, until she could practically see double. “At this point, I don’t know what the hell I’m hoping for.”

    As Savannah was walking Brian O’Donnell out to his car to say good-bye, Dirk drove up in the old Buick. The moment he climbed out of the car and slammed the door behind him, Savannah knew the téate-é-téate with Ian Warner hadn’t gone to his satisfaction.

    “Oh, great,” Brian muttered. “I was hoping to avoid that jerk. He’s really getting on my nerves.”

    “Dirk’s a good guy; it’s just that he possesses no social graces whatsoever and not a smidgen of couth. He rubs everybody the wrong way.”

    “How did it go?” Savannah asked as Dirk stomped up the sidewalk in their direction.

    “It was a fuckin’ waste of time. Nothing. Squat. That’s how it went; thanks for asking.”

    “What do you mean ‘nothing’?”

    “He had an alibi. Several of his worthless friends will vouch for him. They say he was boozing it up with them.”

    “I didn’t know that child molesters had friends.”

    “They do if their daddy owns a business the size of Warner Electric.”

    Savannah glanced at Brian and saw that he looked relieved. She supposed she should be, too. But she was wearing out her loafers, pacing around in square one.

    “What are you grinnin’ about?” Dirk asked Brian. “You think this is funny or something?”

    “Dirk!” Savannah was surprised. Even though Dirk wasn’t known for his diplomacy, he was one of the “good” cops. And, by Savannah’s definition, that meant basically civil to anyone unless they gave him ample reason not to be. From where she stood, Savannah couldn’t see any reason for him to be sarcastic with O’Donnell.

    “Don’t forget,” Dirk continued, glaring at Brian. “So far, you’re the only one on my list who had motive and opportunity to kill both victims.”

    O’Donnell’s face hardened, his jaws tightened. Savannah observed, with interest, that mild-mannered Brian O’Donnell had a temper, too.

    “Okay, big shot,” he told Dirk, “you’ve got opportunity and motive. How about some physical evidence? Last time I heard, you need a little of that, too, before you go around making accusations.”

    Not waiting for Dirk’s reply, he turned and strode away toward his rental car.

    “I’m working on it, buddy,” Dirk shouted after him. “Be seein’ you soon.”

    “Yeah, right.” O’Donnell slammed his car door and peeled out.

    With a mildly satisfied look on his face, Dirk turned to Savannah. “See what I mean. He ain’t just a Mr. Hyde; if you get him mad, he can be a Dr. Jekyll, too.”

    Savannah sighed. “Dirk, you poor, illiterate dear. Dr. Jekyll was the good guy; Hyde was the nasty. You’ve got it backward.”

    “Who cares? You knew what I meant.”

    She took his arm and led him toward her front door. If ever anyone was in need of a ham and cheese on rye with dijon, it was Dirk. Now. From the way he was frothing at the mouth, it was apparent that his blood sugar level had hit bottom.

    “You know,” she said, “I don’t appreciate you insulting my guests without my permission.”

    “O’Donnell was your guest? Since when?”

    “He was on my property.”

    “He was standing on the sidewalk. That’s public property, which means he was fair game.” Dirk shook his head. “Damn it, woman, don’t give me a hard time. I’m having a really rotten day.”

    Savannah decided to add a Coke to the menu.

    As Savannah walked into the examination room of the morgue, she was glad she had eaten a sandwich with Dirk. Because, upon seeing Earl Mallock lying on the table, his torso cut open and internal organs exposed, she figured it was a good day to diet.

    The smell assaulted her nose and went straight to her gag reflex. Earl had been a bit ripe when they had found him in the shack. Time hadn’t improved his condition.

    “Savannah, good to see you. Want to watch?” Dr. Jennifer Liu stood over the corpse, scalpel in one hand, Earl’s liver in the other. As always, she had a bright smile on her face, and her dark eyes glimmered with excitement. Dr. Liu simply loved doing autopsies.

    “It’s